William h



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM H. BERRIGAN, JR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

PUSH-BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent NO. 504,148, dated August29, 1 893.

Application filed April 7,1892. Serial No. 428,236. (NomodeL) To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. BERRIGAN, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York,have invented a new and Improved Push-Button, of which the following isa full, true, and accurate description.

The object of my inven tion is to produce a push-button, made in onepiece, having the advantages of cheapness, lightness, convenience inpacking, and simple adjustment.

Throughout the accompanying drawings similar letters refer to similarparts.

Figure 1, shows a blank of the preferred shape. Fig. 2 shows the saidblank struck up and formed into a shell. Fig. 3 shows the shell incross-section. Fig. 4 shows the first step in affixing said button-shellto any surface, and Fig. 5 shows the final or second step of so affixingit. Fig. 6 shows the form of blank struck up to form both the shell andbutton proper. Fig. 7 shows such combined blank in cross-section; andFig. 8 shows it finally attached. Fig. 9 shows another form of blank,and Fig. 10 shows an ornamental shell. Fig. 11 shows a plurality ofshells upon acommon base.

Heretofore push-buttons have been made in two (or more) parts, a shelland a base, the base being affixed to the surface and then the shellscrewed or otherwise fastened onto the base so as to conceal thecontacts and fastenings. These forms of buttons have been the cause ofmuch trouble and large expense to manufacturers. By my invention abutton can be made having the necessary strength and durability, at agreatly reduced cost of manufacture.

In Fig. 1, is shown a blank for the shell, consisting of the body, A,small lip, B, and extended tongue, 0. Fig. 2 shows the blank stampedinto the form of a shell,with the opening, D, in the body, the opening,E, in' the small lip, and the opening, F, in the extended tongue, theextended tongue being bent at G, H, so that when ready for use the tip,0' will come directly under the opening D. Fig. 3, shows this form ofshell in crosssection. Fig. 4 shows the first step of fastening theshell to a surface, and Fig. 5 shows the second or final step of suchfastening.

The shell may be made from the blank in any suitable way or may beformed from a sheet of material, by rolling or other method.

The method of attaching the shell as herein shown to a surface, is asfollows: A plug, I, made of such material,for example, metal,-as willcause it to be a conductor of electricity, is driven into the wall orother surface, N, so as to connect with the wire, a, of the electricalcircuit; the shell is placed against the surface, substantially as shownin Fig. 4, with that portion of the tongue 0, be-.

tween the bends, G and H, placed flush with the wall or surface, N, towhich the completed push button is to be aflixed, so that the tip 0 ofthe tongue 0, shall be immediately below the hole, D, when said shell isbent as shown in Fig. 5. A fastening device of electricity conductingmaterial, preferably metal, is passed through the opening, F, and thewall or surface, N, and may be connected with the other wire, 12,leading to the battery. The shell is thus partially fastened to the wallor surface, with the tongue, 0, projecting immediately above butnottouching the fastener, I. The bent tongue, 0, being elastic andcapable of being depressed, will return to its normal position whenpressure is removed. The tongue 0, has at the tip 0, a

button or knobfK, so that when the shell, A,

is bent inwardly, and fastened to the wall or surface, through theopening E, in the lip B, said button or knob, K, will project throughthe opening, D, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Upon pressing the button orknob, K, the circuit, I to OJ is closed, and broken upon the removal ofthe pressure. Of course the portions of the button concealed by theshell need not be improved in appearance, which is an element ofcheapness. The fasteningdevices, I and J, being concealed may beattached by any suitable means to the wires leading to the battery.

A shell made from anothor form of blank, is shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8,in which the button proper and the shell are made in one piece, theblank, in this instance, differing from the blank shown in Fig. 1, bybeing broadened, on tongue, 0, at L, Fig. 6, The broadened portion, L,is intended to be depressed at M, Fig. 6, shown on the lip O, by theshaded part, so as to take, when the proper operations are performed,the place of the button K, Fig. 5.

The broadening of the blank at L, permits the knuokleor knob, M, to bemade from the lip, O. The shell, shown in Fig. 7, is then, primarily,affixed as shown in Fig. 4, and bent over and lip, B, fastened to thewall or other surface. The knuckle, M, protrudes through the opening, D,in the body of the shell, and thus becomes the button. Upon pressing theknuckle, M, the circuit, I to C--J, is closed, and broken upon pressurebeing removed, therefrom.

Although I have described and represented herein those details which Iconsider best adapted for practical purposes, it is to be understoodthat form and arrangement of the parts may be modified in many respectswhich will he suggested by the judgment and experience of personsskilled in the art, without departing from my invention.

lVhile it will be seen from the foregoing descriptionthat the object ofthe lip, B, having the opening E, therein, is to provide a means offinally attaching the button to the surface, yet it will readily beunderstood that this result may be accomplished by striking a shell fromthe form ofblank shown in Fig. 9, such shell having a flange around itsedge with two ormore openings to assist the workman in attaching theshell to the surface. Nor do I desire to be understood as limitingmyself to shells having the lip 13, or even a slight flange, for it willbe plain to those versed in the art that my invention covers andincludes ashell with an extended base, such as shown in Fig. 10, or aplurality of shells A upon a common base, as shown in Fig. 11, suchcommon basehaving a number of extended tongues C, to correspond with thenumber of shells upon it; and, instead of opening, E, a number ofopenlugs may be made in the flange around the shell, or in the extendedbase, to facilitate attachment, and, of course, it will be understoodthat wherea shell having a flanged or an extended base is used, withopenings therein, the opening F, in the tongue, 0, may be dispensedwith.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1S?- 1. A blank for push-buttons, consisting of thebody, A, lip, B, and tongue, 0, substantially as shown and described.

2. A shell for push-buttons, consisting of thebody, A, with opening, D,therein, the lip, B, with opening E, therein, and the tongue, 0, withthe opening, F, therein, and being bent at G, H, substantially as shownand described.

3. A shell for push-buttons, consisting of thebody, A, with opening, D,therein, the lip, B, with opening, E, therein, and the tongue, 0, withthe opening, F, therein, and the tip 0, and being bent at H,substantially as shown and described.

4:. A blank for push-buttons, consisting of the body, A, lip, 13, andthe tongue, 0, with broadened portion, L, substantially as described.

5. A shell for push-buttons, consisting of the body, A, with opening, D,therein, the lip, B, with opening, E, therein, the tongue C, withopening, F, therein,being bent at G and H,and havingbroadenedportion,L,depressed into the knuckle, M, substantially as shownand described.

6. A shell for push-buttons, consisting of the body A, with opening, D,therein, the lip, B, with opening E, therein, the tongue, 0, withopening, F, therein, and having broadened portion, L, depressed into theknuckle, M, substantially as shown and described.

7. A shell for push-buttons,consistingof body, A, with opening Dthereiu,.lip B, and tongue 0, substantially as described.

8. A shell for push buttons, consisting of body, A, with opening Dtherein,.andtongue G, the broadened tip of saidtongue. being depressedinto the knuckle, M, substantially as.

so that its tip will i be below the opening-D,

substantially as described.

10. A push-button consisting of body, A, with opening D therein, lip B,with opening, E, therein, and tongue 0, with opening, F,

therein, the said tongue 0, depressedtat M to form the knuckle, M, andbent under soasto be below the opening D, tocausethe knuckle M toprotrude through the opening,.D, substantially as described.

11. A push-button consisting of body-A,

with opening D therein, lip, B, and tongue 0, the said tongue bent underso that its tip will be below the opening, D, substantially as described.

12. A push-button consisting of body, A,

with opening D therein, lip B, and tongue C,

the tip of saidtongue being depressed to form a knuckle, M, said tonguebent under so that the said knuckle will protrude through the opening,D,of the body A, substantiallyas.

described.

13. A push-button consisting of body A,

IIO

14. A push button consisting of body A, with opening, D, therein, andtongue 0, the

tip of said tongue being depressed to form a knuckle, saidtongue beingbentnnder so.

that the said knuckle will protrude through In presence of- JAMES J.OOSGROVE, CONRAD HELLER.

.125 the opening, D, of the body, A, substantially

